Regents Approve Planned $2.75B Hospital Expansion

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved an expanded plan for Project Health, the future primary teaching hospital for the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine. The facility is now planned at 1.5 million square feet, up from 1.25 million, with an estimated cost of $2.75 billion—about $500 million more than the original estimate. The larger project reflects rising construction costs and is intended to accommodate patient and enrollment growth, add beds and specialized-care areas, and replace aging facilities, including Clarkson Tower. The expanded plan also provides inpatient, surgical, laboratory, education and research capacity, which university and hospital leaders say will broaden access to care and support medical training and innovation across Nebraska.